Did you know: more people pay for video streaming services than they do for traditional television channels? Thanks to industry leaders like Netflix and HBO Max, streaming subscriptions are increasingly providing better value to consumers.
The growth of this market has led to an exciting opportunity for businesses around the world, including the home services industry. That’s where we come to OTT marketing.
So what is it and how could your HVAC business benefit from this advertising stream?
Keep reading to find out how OTT marketing can give you the edge over your competitors.
What Is OTT Marketing?
Let’s start with a definition and explanation of OTT marketing. Short for “over the top”, OTT most commonly refers to streaming services including Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+. But it’s not just video streaming.
OTT also incorporates audio, messaging, and voice services, including Spotify, WhatsApp, and Skype.
Thus, OTT marketing refers to paid adverts appearing on these platforms. Ads can appear in the form of video interruptions, banners, sponsored content, and audio.
OTT marketing is allowing businesses to increase revenue because they can target specific demographics more easily than traditional network television advertising. With OTT services, there are no geographic limits or constricting broadcast schedules. People can watch what they want, when they want.
What Are the Benefits?
Now let’s turn to the advantages of investing in OTT marketing. Here we’ll explore why so many companies are choosing to advertise via streaming services.
Personalized Ads
Unlike network television advertising, OTT allows businesses to personalize their ads. Adapt your ad content to make a genuine connection with your potential customers. This could be the time of the week, weather, location, behavior signals, and more.
We’d highlight the weather and location as two particularly valuable factors for HVAC companies.
Targeted Audience
Next, OTT marketing means you can target a far more specific audience than other digital advertising platforms. It’s important to have a clear idea of your target audience personas, which you can use to funnel your ad spend towards the most lucrative audiences.
Similar to Facebook advertising, OTT will allow you to reach homeowners in a more sustained campaign thanks to retargeting.
Increased Engagement
The result of personalized advertisements and targeting a specific audience is increased engagement. This is also made possible by dynamic ads that allow the audience to “choose their content” from different options.
It’s a great feature that also allows brands to showcase a variety of their products.
Less Ad Spend Waste
OTT marketing is a more efficient use of businesses’ time and budget. It’s possible to target precisely the users most likely to be interested in your services.
This makes it vastly different from television advertising, as you’re unlikely to spend money targeting people who would never choose your business.
It’s Still New
One of the best things about OTT marketing is its novelty. Many businesses are yet to realize its potential, meaning ad costs are relatively low, and your competition probably hasn’t entered the market.
Our expert marketing team can create a strategy to help your HVAC company profit from this exciting new advertising stream.
How Can It Be Utilized by HVAC Companies?
One of the biggest advantages of OTT marketing for a home services business is the potential to retarget customers. This means that after someone has browsed your website, you can follow up with them via OTT ads.
This means your ad spend is going towards people who have already shown an interest in your services and brand.
Another reason to choose OTT marketing is that it makes it even easier for your potential customers to take action. Consider when you’re watching a commercial break on tv. You’re probably on your phone, and even if you are persuaded by an ad, you’re unlikely to look up their website.
Meanwhile, from an OTT ad, your website is a mere click away. Many people watching Netflix or Hulu on their laptops will be able to easily follow your CTA, resulting in more conversions.
OTT Marketing Best Practices
We’ll now take you through some OTT marketing best practices to give you the best chance to increase profits. The first thing to remember is the shorter the better. People are more likely to tune out or switch to their phones if they can see it’s a long advert.
It’s also crucial to make sure your ad looks good across a variety of screen sizes. Your video should be compelling both with and without audio, as many people will mute adverts.
Finally, bear in mind where your brand is in the marketing funnel. Are you using adverts to introduce your business to customers for the first time? Or are you familiar enough to jump to the bottom line?
Analyzing OTT Performance
The last point to mention about OTT marketing is measurement. This is where collaborating with a marketing agency such as Optic Marketing Group is a huge bonus.
Unlike Facebook or Google advertising, it’s more challenging to track the concrete results of your OTT campaign. However, our team can help your business find attribution trends in terms of website visits and new customers.
It also has a leg up on television adverts in that you can count ad clicks and immediate conversions.
Do You Need Assistance With Your HVAC Marketing?
It’s clear that as an emerging advertising stream, OTT has the potential to introduce brands to a wide, in-market audience. If you’re interested in this fantastic opportunity but you’re looking for some strategic support from an experienced marketing agency, Optic Marketing Group is here for you.
In addition to OTT marketing, Optic Marketing Group can assist you with all your marketing needs. From SEO and social media to web design and media buying, we’ve got your back. Contact us here for more information about how we can help you develop and manage a successful marketing campaign.